Deliberately misleading?

May 18, 2015

The city council agenda item that would allow the city to issue notice of intent to issue $62 million of certificates of obligation is another example of the double dealing we are seeing from our city government.

The backup material reads “for the purpose of paying contractual obligations to be incurred for the construction …”.

Can’t stop it

While the backup material says that they want the money to pay for bills to be incurred, the city has evidently already built the projects and rung up the bills.  This was printed in the Times the other day:

Mark Sutter, the city’s chief financial officer, who will give a quarterly financial report on Tuesday, said the city has routinely adopted the use of certificates of obligation around this time of year “to reimburse itself for expenditures made on capital project debt authorizations that council has approved for various projects.”

In this case, Sutter said, the $62 million reimbursement covers four authorizations: transportation funding of March 2010, transportation funding of November 2010, short term capital improvement projects of April 2011, and street infrastructure of June 2012.

“The reimbursements cover expenditures since the last resolution (approximately April last year),” he said.

We deserve better

Brutus

 

13 Comments | City government | Permalink
Posted by Brutus

Another city remodel

May 17, 2015

The city council agenda for the Tuesday, May 19, 2015 meeting includes an item that would authorize the city to announce that they want to issue $62 million of certificates of obligation.

They evidently want the money to allow them to pay for a whole laundry list of public works projects.

This part of the list caught my attention:

“… renovating, improving and equipping City Hall and other City administrative facilities…”

Details of how much is to be spent on each project are evidently none of our business.

We deserve better

Brutus

7 Comments | City government | Permalink
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Those ballpark costs

May 16, 2015

Helen Marshall beat me to the punch on this one.  As usual Helen is spot on.

This from Helen Marshall:

While closing these streets to railroad crossings may be a good idea, the only reason the city is doing it is a quid pro quo for the “air rights” needed to build the  stadium over the UP line below.  

Total cost is said to be $1.67 million (let’s see if that holds).  Add that to the cost of the stadium

http://www.elpasotimes.com/news/ci_28102628/two-central-el-paso-railroad-crossings-to-close-starting-Monday

We deserve better

Brutus

10 Comments | Ball park, City government | Permalink
Posted by Brutus

San Jacinto Default

May 15, 2015

Someone sent this in:

Don’t expect to begin enjoying San Jacinto Park anytime soon. elpasonaturally has learned that the contractor, Basic IDIQ, has defaultied. Item 16.3 on next week’s regular City Council agenda simply reads “Discussion and action on the construction of San Jacinto Park.” It was placed on the agenda by Rep. Cortney Niland. The park is in her district. There are no back-up materials for this agenda item. Executive Session Item 2 reads “San Jacinto Plaza Redesign, Solicitation No. 2014-043 (551.071)” Again no supporting materials.

Click on “Watch Live San Jacinto Construction” on the city’s web site, you will get THIS. Nothing to see here, folks. Move along.”

“It’s another east side sports park,” I heard from several people today.
3 comments:
Reputable El Paso engineers and contractors have been saying that Basic was absolutely the wrong company. The City hired them anyway.The Department of Engineering was overseeing this project. They could have at any time pulled the plug on the project. They did not. One wonders whether City Manager, Tommy Gonzalez, will still look favorably on Engineering Director, Irene Ramirez. He shouldn’t.

At least we saved the trees (or most of them) for now. The question now arises whether the trees will be properly maintained and cared for during what will be a very long time to finish the park.

 

14 Comments | City government | Permalink
Posted by Brutus

EPISD Conservator?

May 15, 2015

We received a note through Xavier Miranda.  It addresses the possibility that a conservator will be named for the El Paso Independent School District board.

The Times wrote an editorial the other day that opposed the naming of a conservator.  From the editorial:

TEA says that the appointment of a conservator — who has veto power over school board actions — was suspended, not ended, when the Board of Managers took office, So Williams could reactivate a conservator when the Board of Trustees takes office next week, even though the EPISD currently does not meet any of the legal requirements for such a sanction. The El Paso legislative delegation in February wrote Williams a letter asking that the new trustees be allowed to “fulfill their duties without constraint.”

The note from Xavier Miranda:

EPISD Conservator?

Dear Xavier,

On Monday, we will see seven very capable and talented people certified and sworn in as EPISD Trustees. Each brings unique skills and talents to what has the promise of being a great team.

However, in all probability, based on reports from multiple sources, Commissioner Williams will appoint Mr. Margo as the Conservator of the EPISD. This would give Mr. Margo or whoever absolute veto power over our elected representatives to further his agenda.

In other words, we will have one-man rule in EPISD. That, by any other name is a dictatorship. This move by Commissioner Williams will nullify two elections for all practical purposes.

This is the respect the Commissioner has for the voters of El Paso.

A Monitor that approaches the job from the perspective of a coach and mentor as the Trustees learn the mechanics of functioning as a Board might be good and warranted. However, Conservator, be it Mr. Margo, or who ever, with unlimited veto power is not what EPISD needs.

We’ve already had one Emperor, and that did not work out well. We don’t need another.

And, no, your Federation is not taking this affront to Democracy, lying down. So, join me Monday at 4:00 for a Certification of a democratic election and swearing in of our elected representatives. And, there is a real good chance we will get to see a coronation by the Commissioner as well.

I hope these reports are wrong and elected representation prevails, but… We’ve had an interesting ride here in EPISD.

In Solidarity,
Ross

1 Comment | El Paso Independent School District, State Government | Permalink
Posted by Brutus

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